ess Ethernet Compatibilty Alliance to conform to the industry-standard wireless networking specification IEEE 802.11b. Wi-Fi began appearing in products in late 1998. The standard currently provides access to Ethernet networks such as a corporate LAN or the Internet at super-fast speeds of up to 11 megabits per second.

Wi-Fi connections can be made up to about 300 feet away from a "hot spot" (slang for a Wi-Fi networking node). When your notebook or PDA has a Wi-Fi networking card or built-in chip, you can surf the Internet at broadband speeds wirelessly. Wi-Fi networking nodes are proliferating globally; many Starbucks locations, for instance, offer access to Wi-Fi hot spots for a fee. (See the Notebooks section in this newsletter for information on finding Wi-Fi hot spots.)

Many notebooks today have IEEE 802.11b built-in; those that don't can be adapted via Wi-Fi connectivity PC Cards. Wi-Fi is also the basis for some home networking products, allowing you to share high-speed Internet connections without cabling. Late last year, products featuring a newer wireless networking specification, IEEE 802.11a (called Wi-Fi5 by WECA), debuted. This standard provides transmission speeds of up to 54 mbps. Wireless networking is expected to grow in popularity as a practical, flexible way to replace some LANs. With wireless networking, for instance, workers can carry their notebooks from cubicle to conference room and stay connected to the corporate network.